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Q&A Time Again! (Patreon)

Published:
2020-10-27 20:25:24
Imported:
2021-03

Content

We sort of skipped October, but there will be a Q&A in November - what would you like me to answer?

Comments

Falling Steel

The year is 1980 and you are a spy for the West operating behind the Iron Curtain. What is your compact and concealable pistol of choice for clandestine operations in dark East Berlin alleys or a smokey bar in Odessa?

Anonymous

After seeing a cutout of a volcanic cartridge, I came to wonder: could you essentially reverse the bullet and make pistol sized shaped charge ammo?

Anonymous

What are the pros and cons of different bolt locking mechanisms (tilting bolt, flapper locking, rotating bolt with 2, 3 or 7 lugs) etc?

Anonymous

Could you give an idea of the logistics involved in your filming, how much equipment you have to take with you etc.

Anonymous

What is the button on the buttplate of AK100 folding stocks for?

Anonymous

If Gaston Glock were never born, would polymer, striker fired, tilting barrel, etc handguns still be the most widely adopted by military and law enforcement?

Bobblehob

Hey Ian! Love your content and your videos. Second time asking, is it real or fudd lore that Mosins were zeroed with the bayonet on at the factory and as such are likely to be more accurate with the bayonet attached? I've heard both ways and in my subjective experience my 91/30 does appear to be more accurate at 50 yards with the bayonet attached. Thanks again!

Matthew Speidel

I've heard several people over the years make a big deal out of the idea that "a PDW is *not* a SMG." Given your recent video, would you say there's any real difference between the two, or is a PDW just a specific use case of SMG, or what?

Anonymous

Do you think 9x39 is doomed to stay in the same realm as 5.45 is in the US- that is, relatively uncommon and only available from a few low quality sources?

JSluka

This may be the second time I've asked this question, but I don't remember. Do you know of any good resources for information on Polish-made arms in the 20th century? Eg arms made at FK, FB, etc?

Paolo Caron

Do you guys reload for your exotic guns? What was the first gun you ever had?

Anonymous

3rd time: Why is there such a big problem with casting receivers? I was reading up on the National Ordnance 1903s and M1 Carbines and a lot of people consider them unsafe to shoot due to their receivers being cast. Why is this? Also, doesn’t Ruger cast rifle receivers? What did they sacrifice to Hephaestus in order to make theirs reliable?

William Frank

WAR WERE DECLARED! The political tensions between Elbonia and Freedonia have boiled over, and war has been declared. While Elbonia has recently updated their military arms under your trecherous guidnace, Freedonia, being a rather poor country, has not updated its military arms since the early 1920’s. Your true traitorous color have been shown, and you are now the Freedonian Defense Minister. You must equip your troops for the coming war as quickly and cheaply as possible, to face off against Elbonia. With what small arms (pistol, rifle, and machine gun) do you equip your troops?

Anonymous

Will development and introduction of polymer cased cartridges (and associated new weapons) be hindered by the fact that brass cases carried a lot of heat out of the action of a weapon?

Anonymous

Hi Ian. Are you still dabbling/ partaking in gunsmithing and gun repair/ restoration? I remember seeing that you had a pretty nice shop set up and assemblage of tools. If so, what has been your favorite project so far?

Anonymous

Will you add the CZ Scorpion Evo to your PCC Course?

Chris Hamlin

In your recent video on the Gardiner/Scott prototype 1903 safety, you mentioned a military program that allowed inventors to obtain 1903 rifles in order to help them develop new inventions. Do you have any information on how someone's status as an "inventor" was determined for eligibility to purchase a rifle?

Matthew Jackson

Would you put machine pistols (from the Schnellfuer to the Glock 18) in SMG classification, or are they something essentially different?

Anonymous

Why did companies standardize on such odd bullet diameters, for example .308" instead of an even .300", .224" instead of .220" etc? I understand not changing after they became standard, but it seems oddly inconvenient in the first place.

Steve Doucet

What was the most ridiculous attachment ever designed for a military firearm?

Anonymous

Would something like a revolving canon been useful in defense of tench warfare in ww1?

Anonymous

Considering the context of a looming invasion of the British isles, would you consider the Sten gun to be a last ditch weapon?

Anonymous

Why were most pistol sights so incredibly useless well into the 20th century? It’s not like the mark 1 eyeball has changed, it couldn’t have been hard to make them a little bigger, and presumably everyone wants to hit what they aim at.

Anonymous

Hi Ian after watching your video on the generations of submachine-guns. Did the French government ever attempt to make a 9 mm famas. In my mind the lever delayed blowback action of the famas would make an excellent 9 mm platform.

Anonymous

Hi Ian ..2nd time go....which gun has made you go "what were they thinking!!!" Either in terms of complexity or sheer absurdity??

Anonymous

Why did Austria Hungary convert their M95s to 8x56? While most other countries seemed to be dropping in caliber, they decided to jump up in size, while converting to carbines, no less. Why would they do that?

Anonymous

Hi Ian, so since you just covered early German SMG's I have a related one. In Peaky Blinders season 4, which takes place in 1927, Arthur Shelby fights mafia hitmen armed with Thompson M1921's with an MP34, which had not yet been invented then (no disrespect to the show's producers, tough to find blank-firing SMGs from this time). If you were in charge of picking guns for that scene, what European-made SMG would you have picked for Shelby to use or is the MP-18 really the only option reasonably available in 1927? Thanks!

Anonymous

If you were to make a modernized M1 Carbine, what would you do?

Anonymous

I have heard that there was a "gentleman's agreement" that NATO would adopt 7.62x51mm if the U.S. adopted the FAL. My question is How do you think weapons development in the 20th century would be different if it was reversed, that NATO would adopt a cartridge like 280 British if they used an American rifle, perhaps the m14 or ar10, if this happened, the use of a more intermediate cartridge in a more ergonomic weapon like the ar10 I think might make a difference, and lead down a path of using it for a considerably longer period before going to a truly intermediate cartridge. Do you agree or differ?

Anonymous

Why are striker/linear hammer fired Assault Rifles so rare? I can only think of two off the top of my head: The vz. 58 and the QBZ-95. On a broader note, what goes in to choosing whether a gun will be hammer or striker fired? If this is an unsuitable question, please let me know.

Anonymous

did the British make any sub machine guns in .455? There were variants 1911 and Villar Perosa built in it.

Anonymous

I don't have question, but I have drawn this: https://www.patreon.com/posts/just-some-guys-43223242

Anonymous

Hey Ian, second time asking. I was curious if you know of any good text or internet references on Lee Enfield stock disk/unit markings? I have a numbers matching 1917 No.1 MkIII* SMLE and am curious of its provenance.

Anonymous

Do you know of any good English books on Swiss firearms?

Eki T

Second time asking: I feel like the G11 gets an undeserved bad rap for its complexity, when it seems like a lot of it comes from the fancy hyper-burst mechanism. What do you think a civilian, semi-auto G11 action would look like? I feel it could be downright utilitarian with enough iteration.

David Teach

Most of us know the history of firearms ignition, from matchlock, flintlock, percussion, and various primer types of cartridge, but has there ever been any odd historical attempts at something really different that didn't fit the "standard" technology of the time?

Dan Schneider

What was the preferred method of reloading the MAS family of semi autos in French service? Changing the mag or stripper clips? I was told troops were issued with four spare mags, but have seen conflicting stories on what was the standard method in French service

Anonymous

During WW2, with the British producing both .303 and 8mm for their besa machine guns, aswell as producing the Bren in both .303 and 8mm. Was there ever any talk of standardization on 8mm to simplify the supply chain. And have you ever heard of a No4 chambered for 8mm for testing purposes?

Alex H

With the popularity of the mini-14 do you think there would ever be a market for a mini-m1, the M1 design but scaled for 5.56?

David C

There are a couple of videos on light rifles on Forgotten Weapons: the Turner light rifle and the S&W 40, what is a light rifle and how does it differ from a Carbine?

David C

Whenever the Owen gun comes up, you describe it as 'Ugly but effective', what makes a gun aesthetically pleasing? And is there such a thing as an Anti-Owen gun; a gun that is beautiful yet ineffective'?

Anonymous

Did suppressor wipes have to be made of special materials to deal with the heat and pressure? Due to the legal situation they aren't really used these days, so there seems to be a bit of a hole in the general knowledge.

Andrey Gardner

If you could be subject to any foreign firearms rules, laws, or aspect there of in addition to or in place of a relevant laws currently in effect for you, what would you choose?

Anonymous

Hello Ian, Thanks for all that you do. I appreciate your ''no bull, just facts'' approach to fire arms history and engineering. My question is thus: do you have something you'd like to get a look at that we can help you find, either by supplying or financing?

A premium hog

Why have rifle grenades gone the way of the dodo?

Anonymous

Why is the bolt handle on the Mosin-Nagant so short? I know the Russians were coming from the Berdan II, but between the winter mittens and a Mosin bolt acting like Mosin bolts do, you'd think the Russians would want as much grip and torque as they could get. So why the stubby handle?

David T Klein

East Elbonian separatists have contacted you for help. They are expecting the incoming prime minister to try and squash their movement. To fight off the crackdown, they’ve gotten several dozen Toyota trucks and SUVs, as the platform to build technicals. They want your guidance on the small arms or light weapons that they should source for these vehicles, through their contacts in the former Soviet Union, the Khyber Pass and Israel. The separatists have limited funds (under 10k$ per vehicle), and need to ensure that they maintain mobility (so a 108mm canon would slow down them). What would you recommend if you were an honest advisor? What would you recommend if the Elbonian ministry of state security got to you first and was threatening to do unspeakable things to your family if you didn’t sabotage the separatists? I look forward to your thoughtful answer to this distinctly silly question.

Timothy Conklin

Did the contemporary distinction between .233 Remington and 5.56x45mm as "kinda-sorta" interchangable cartridges exist BEFORE the NATO standardization and adoption of the M855 in the 1980s?

Jonathon Payne

I was wondering if you could help me decipher one of the patents for the Savage Model 1907. The first patent - 804,984 - has an unusual magazine design at figure #18, #19, and #20. It appears to be a double stack double feed design, but one of the feed lips is substantially lower than the other. Looking at the rest of the patent I can't figure out how the breech bolt will pick up the second round in the magazine after it feeds and ejects the first. If the feed lip does what it's supposed to do then it will prevent the second round rising high enough to be picked up by the breech bolt. I can't make heads or tails of this.

Anonymous

1) Who cleans those beautiful classic and very rare firearms after you put you grubby paws all over them? I noticed that you rarely wear cotton or nitrile gloves. Is that because you are forced to by the owner/auction house/museum? 2) Whenever possible, please show a round of ammunition with the weapon. 3) Can we see what you are shooting at even if it's just the bullets hitting berm?

Anonymous

Since we have seen a bit of a split in AK design (Eastern Bloc vs Finnish and Israeli), which side of the split do you see as being more practical today?

Valéry Romulus

If aliens invaded earth or there was to be a zombie apocalypse of some sorts, how ready would other countries be on the weapon tip? Movies always make it seem easy to find guns and ammunition, even though other countries don't have as much access or availability to gun as we do in the US. I know it's a weird question, but let me know your thinking on that.

Anonymous

Could you do a "Ian's top ten wish list C&R and/or modern? And why."

Anonymous

Why did Beretta move the safety from the frame to the slide on the Model 92?

Anonymous

This might have been asked and answered before, but...with all your knowledge do you ever get the desire to design your own weapon? If so, what would it look like, i.e., rifle, pistol, shotgun. single shot, full-auto?

Anonymous

When time travel is perfected, your Patreon supporters fund 2 1-week excursions for you. Week 1 allows you to be at the elbow of one of the historically world famous great gunmakers while Week 2 sends you to spend a week with one of the least known to history, yet important to you, gun makers. Who do you spend each week with and why did you choose them?

Anonymous

Sorry, just trying to get my $10 a month worth of questions.

Anonymous

Would you ever consider doing a video on various types of barrels and their histories? Perhaps touching on different rifling methods, manufacturing, Damascus, etc? I find it really interesting and especially find listening to you talking about firearms quite engaging. Thank you for the awesome videos!

Anonymous

Would a Modern AR-180 like a BRN-180 be superior to a bullpup doctrine vs using a actually bullpup?

Anonymous

If you could go to Russia (Hopefully not this time of year) and look at any collection there, what would be your top 3 firearms to do videos on, and why?

Anonymous

You've spoken before about guns you've really wanted to film and shoot. You've also spoken about your intention to keep Forgotten Weapons as a repository of old archival material and such (which quite frankly, you've done an incredible job of so far). Do you have an equivalent "holy grail" firearm manual you would love to find and upload to the website?

Anonymous

Ive heard you say that variable lighting in factories effected heat treat on firearms as late as the Garand. What were the first guns that used modern, precise, heat treatment methods?

madcynic

I visited the Musée de l'armée in Paris this summer, and they had a number of épée-pistolets or sword-guns in their collection. Do you know how widespread they were and how practical in use? Those they had were mostly flintlocks, but I recall some using percussion caps as well.

Ryan D Thorne

Do you think Othias will let you shoot his Sub2000? Would you want to?

Anonymous

What kind of eye/hearing protection do you wear? PS Thanks for years of fascinating content; you're the reason I got into firearms, and am working up to competition shooting.

Anonymous

Would a roller delayed locking/blowback system be practical in a bullpup configuration? Do you think it would be commercial viable as well? Would love to hear your thoughts.

Laura Barnhart

If you had to choose a concealed carry pistol that could be considered a "forgotten" weapon (pretty much anything that isn't an obvious choice), what would it be?

Anonymous

Hey Ian, have you ever looked in to the Daisy V/L rifle? It was a caseless .22 pump-air-rifle made by a BB gun company for kids who were not licensed firearms manufacturers lol

Anonymous

4th time asking a variation of this question: I've heard of progressive triggers but, has there ever been anything akin to a selector "grip" where a lever or button on the front or back of the grip acts as the selector mechanism? I feel like this screams European inter-war Light and Medium machine guns.

Jonathon Neighbors

What are your thoughts on Movie Prop guns and guns that are heavily modified for movies to the point they are unrecognizable?

Anonymous

Second submit of question: The Škorpion vz. 61 is a cool gun, but it is stuck back in the .32 ACP era. But the ammunition was first developed for small pocket pistols. Could a hotter version of the .32 ACP be created for this much more rugged platform that would make the gun once more viable in combat in an age of almost ubiquitous body armor?

Anonymous

The civilian gun market tends to, understandably, lionize and copy military ARs feature-for-feature in self-defense platforms. Where would you argue that the result is notably good or bad? For example, (personally) I would choose a pencil weight barrel over an M4 barrel cut for an M203, and get rid of the forward assist, but am fine with a reliable, if imperfect, mil-spec trigger.

Anonymous

Is it really fair to say that the Dragunov is not a sniper rifle because it does not conform to the current western tactical definition of one, as being a limited production, ultra precise weapon used by a very highly trained team of specialists from a great distance. By the soviet military's definition of a snipers role, at the time, it was a snipers weapon. Do you think this is a reasonable supposition?

Anonymous

Politics aside - what do you think the new import/ownership restrictions from the ATF on pistol-configuration rifles will do to the overall market? Will we see a resurgence in bullpup rifles?

Anonymous

At the range the other day, during a cease-fire, the RO advised me to not actually put my chamber flag into the chamber of my AR on the grounds that it might melt and leave plastic inside the chamber and barrel. While I don't doubt the possibility of this happening after something like the recent 1000 round WWSD full auto endurance test, have you ever seen or heard of this happening under more normal range conditions or even at something like a 2 gun match?

Anonymous

Not so much a question as a suggestion. You should break down a nerf gun for April fools. Assuming society makes it that far.

Anonymous

You obviously come from Scottish ancestry. Would you care to share your family history? And what is that Scottish certification/deed on your bookshelf?

RiffusKhan

It seems like a consensus has emerged that due to modern advancements in expanding bullet technology, .40 S&W and .45 Auto offer no worthwhile advantage over 9x19mm which has emerged as a de-facto standard for law enforcement and civilian self defense handguns as it provides higher capacity and less recoil than the larger alternatives. With the aforementioned advances in hollow point bullets, could this effect scale down? Is there an opportunity for a new .30 caliber handgun cartridge to offer similar terminal ballistics to 9x19mm with even greater capacities and less recoil? I'm envisioning something like a longer, rimless .32 ACP loaded to higher, 9mm-level pressures, with a ~100gr bullet. Does such a cartridge already exist?

Anonymous

Pretty much every collector has lived through this - regret. Regretting selling this one gun which you wish you'd kept. Or, not buying that one gun, a while ago, which you can only now dream of finding again. What gun or guns make you wish you could go back in time and do things differently?

Anonymous

Ian, have you handled a AK-12 magazine? Do you have any thoughts on them?

Anonymous

Has anyone ever developed a "rimless" rimfire cartrige? Obviously, a rimfire cartridge needs some "rim" for priming compound, but typical rimless cartridges would seem to have ample size. One of the real downsides to .22 LR firearms is the difficulty feeding rimmed cartridges from a magazine, and a rimless rimfire could help.

Anonymous

Logistically, why do you think the Soviet Union allowed for the Czech &. Yugos to develop firearms that did not resemble the AKM completely? The VZ58 with no commonality and the M70 without furniture comparability.

Anonymous

Today there are only two major types of rifle iron sights, the peep sight and the post and notch. As your videos make abundantly clear there are many dead-ends in firearms design. What dead-ends are there in iron sight design? For example has anybody ever tried reversing the positions of the post and notch? What other good ideas have been tried and found wanting?

Anonymous

What do you feel have been the best and worst additions to firearms that do not actually have to do with the gun's ability to fire? Talking coffee-mill grinders to weird dustcover contraptions?

Kyle Pocock

What's the worst military issued optic you've seen from any time period?

Anonymous

What is a weapon that a smaller country created at any point in time that was a very good weapon, but due to the lack of importance or size of the country, it didn't have any real chance of becoming something more?

Anonymous

I've heard you mention the video game Halo before, specifically when referring to that underbarrel chronographer thingy you and Karl used. Are you a fan or avid player of Halo?

Anonymous

Ian, many modern military firearms put an emphasis on modularity. Do you feel like this is necessary for military needs? It has justifications in the civilian world in part due to regulation but why would a military want a conversion kit over a dedicated second firearm that shares controls and layout. E.G. 9mm conversions for the AUG or Tavor.

Djd

When medium/heavy machine guns were developed did 'they' know about Beaten Zone, or discover it as the guns developed?

Djd

When you do a Mag Dump why don't you do it from the hip - as most of us amateurs might do?

Anonymous

Elbonia has made it through the Cold War despite internal procurement issues. Now, in the interest of fulfilling it's NATO obligations, it is rearming for both the GWOT and possible Russian aggression. In a time honored Elbonian tradition you, a traitor, have been put in charge of small arms procurement. What do you buy?

Chairman

What do you think about Othias's KelTec PCSC?

Anonymous

In the 19th century, small arms' sights were improved with more precise (albeit overconfident) range markings, like the Buffington Sight. How did arms manufacturers determine those markings? Was it just trial-and-error, shooting at known distances, or did they use a ballistic pendulum and far too much math? Either way, I'm thankful for modern chronographs and calculators.

Anonymous

3rd time Asking Do you think it is possible that in the past, small sights were thought to be more accurate? If not, what would explain the wide prevalence of tiny sights on early 20th century and older firearms?

Anonymous

How are fluted chambers formed and when was it first used?

DaveJD

What was the first handgun to introduce the concept of a removable modular chassis within a polymer frame?

Anonymous

Is there any reason .30 Carbine wouldn't be a desirable round in a modern PCC?

Anonymous

Repeat Question: What led to the death of the US Army's CAWS program and were there any innovations from the entrants (H&K, Olin, Smith & Wesson) that influenced any later designs?

Christian Hanes

Next time you’re in Switzerland, are you going to try and get access to the SIG factory museum collection? It’d be pretty cool to see a video of the prototypes leading up to the STG 57 and STG 90. With regards to the STG 90, have you ever thought about doing a. video with Eduard Brodbeck, the lead on the STG 90 project. I’d love to hear their insight and what his beginnings were like since he started at SIG in like 1947.

Anonymous

What, in your opinion, is the best militarily adopted version of the M16/AR-15 and if you could assemble an ideal M16 using only components officially adopted by a military or select an existing military model, what would it be? Second time asking.

Anonymous

What is your opinion of the cz75? I absolutely love them and understand they are generally considered to be one of the finest handguns ever made, however I noticed the hi-power is your in go-to 9mm in classic. Is this about keeping with a 'theme' of your load out? Personal preference?

Anonymous

Why nine o'clock?

Anonymous

Second time asking (you get flooded, I know, no worries if you don’t get to it). How do you think the STG 44 would fair currently if it had gone through a longer developmental process like it’s AK contemporary. Being rechambered in a more svelte round (5.5 kurz?) options for mounting optics, etc.

Anonymous

Recently watched Mae's top 10 WW1 rifles on candrsanal, her top pick the type 38 would be in my top 10 as well or thr type 44. The Japanese had a wonderful handy rifle why the switch to 7.7 cartridge in the type 99. I've heard they felt the 6.5 did not hit hard enough but the ballistics are better than 7.62x39, which I don't think anyone would argue is a punny round. Was it just a matter of its not as big as other countries or something else. Thanks so much always look forward to QA

Anonymous

With all the talk about pistol braces in the news, what is the history of the pistol brace and short rifles/braced pistols?

Anonymous
>>46610544

The M1 carbine’s existence and large scale production effectively kills this. No, it’s not a Garand, but if you’re looking for something M1 Garand like, but lighter and in a smaller caliber, the M1 carbine is basically that.

Bpendragon

Have you ever visted the Ralph Foster Museum in Point Lookout/Branson, MO? They have quite the gun collection on display.

Anonymous

Would you have any thing on the DWM Model 22 (wood grips) or 23 (black plasstic grips), a diminutive .32ACP/7.65mm handgun, produced in the 1920's by the DWM firm prior to being absorbed by another BIKW. DWM was precluded from producing military weapons by the Treaty of Versailles.

Biggles
>>46609744

Othias from C&Rsenal covers this in his episode on the 1891 - skip to 1hr 6 minutes for the discussion of it https://youtu.be/nqmkRZOIlfY

Anonymous

Was there a particular conflict or battle in which a disparity in small arms was decisive or at least a major factor?

Anonymous

One of my favorite guns you covered was the HK SMG 2 and I have a couple more questions about that. 1. Why did HK just do nothing with the project, the gun had a lot of technological improvements that could’ve replaced the MP5 but they chose to just kinda abandon it after the US Navy said no instead of pitching it to other militaries or releasing it for the Civilian market 2. How come the velocity switch was also abandoned, it would seem like a perfect tool for special forces and would also eliminate the need for having to carry subsonic ammo, so why wasn’t it used in more guns?

Anonymous

The Swedish M40 Lahti was apparently made from substandard materials during WWII, but did that carry over to post-war manufacture? I understand Sweden destroyed tens of thousands of M40s, after someone was injured during scheduled testing of war reserve examples; though none of those guns may have ever been available on the commercial market, what does it do to the value of existing examples in private hands, when those guns are, say, one of five thousand, instead of one of fifty thousand?

Anonymous

Following up from meet n great at Rock Island: Elbonia is loosing a war against its neighbors, North Elbonia and Kneebonia, unable to be resupplied by the outside world, it must resort to last ditch weapons to arm its troops. What configurations are its modern day last ditch arms in? (Pistol->MG->AntiMat->other)

jubs

Asking for a third time, I think? Is there a readily agreed upon standard for what constitutes a (possibly linear) hammer vs. a (possibly not linear) striker? The most commonly quoted one I have seen has been that if the spring acts directly on the component that carries the firing pin, it's striker fired, whereas if the spring acts on a component that hits a separate firing pin, it's hammer fired. Would this make many older revolvers "rotational striker fired", rather than hammer fired? EDIT: Also, related to the SMG generations argument, since the FN P90 predates even the design of the FN F2000 by at least 5 years, is this a case of the F2000 justifying the FN P90's "Gen 3 attributes" after the fact?

Anonymous

Best and worst non-alphanumeric (i.e., "AR-15", "SVT-40") gun model names you've come across?

Anonymous

Are there any disadvantages to using polygonal rifling for rifles? You see pistol manufacturers like glock and H&K using it on their pistols, but no rifle barrels. If there's no disadvantage, why do we not see everybody making them?

Anonymous

What is your favourite and/or best combination for 2-Gun competition?

Anonymous

What's the biggest "missed opportunity" in firearms development post cartridge guns? I'll let you decide what that entails.

Anonymous
>>46618198

Expense comes to mind, think of the Remington 5R rifling.

Anonymous

Can you elaborate on the short history of the 1867 zulu shotgun, all I can really find,is they where French snider style rifles bored out to 12ga. Coutious because I'm restoring one right now.

Anonymous

1. Why were striker-fired pistols so rare in the decades prior to the introduction of the Glock 17? 2. How much of the current prevalence of polymer pistols can be attributed to their low cost of manufacture?

Anonymous

Imagine you are a well-heeled gentleman adventurer living in the US during the 1930s. At the outbreak of WWII, you decide to pack up and go abroad to join some sneaky special operations team working for the Allies. However, you must furnish your own personal equipment from what's available on the US civilian market. With your deep pockets, what weapons loadout would you select? Bear in mind, you may have to use these weapons for the remainder of the war, in a variety of situations and environments. As a follow up to this, imagine instead that you are equipping an entire team (possibly up to platoon strength). How would this change your choices?

Anonymous

Do you see any future for caseless ammunition in an aircraft role? Given that an aircraft mounted weapon requires technician maintenance anyway and is not something that you would troubleshoot on the fly (no pun intended) and given also that it may be cold enough that cook offs are less of a problem, do you think that in this situation the reduced weight of caseless ammo would outweigh the drawbacks (again, no pun intended)?

Anonymous

What is your haircare routine?

Josh Neil

What is, in your opinion, the funnest gun to modify or the gun that has the most potential to modify? Also, thanks for all you do!

Anonymous

Second time asking: Why did it seem to take so long for other manufacturers to get into the double-stacked pistol game? From its introduction until the Wonder Nines came about, it feels like the Browning Hi-Power was the only one in the game. Is there a reason for that?

Anonymous

Do you believe the U.S. firearms community is at disadvantage due to a lack of mandatory training? I understand this undermines its status as a right but humor me. I have always had a problem with the part of the community that displays a disregard for proper firearms usage and safety but can’t think of any other option that wouldn’t infringe on our right

Draygone

Having been inspired by some of the guns you have covered that resulted from trying to get around various gun laws here is my question: You have ended up on the advisory board of a state looking to pass new gun legislation which ostensibly has the objective of restricting guns sin some way shape or form. However you have an ulterior motive, what restriction would you impose on firearms manufactures to result in the most interesting designs for you to cover on your channel. For example: Banning detachable magazines for pistols but allowing clips, banning direct impingement, requiring all guns to have built in bottle openers, etc. Note: 1. To keep up appearances it must be a restriction that will result in some selection of guns being banned (no relaxing laws). 2. You don't live in this state so no need to worry about your guns being banned and it is only a statewide piece of legislation so no other guns will go away, it only effects guns going forward. 3. Bonus points for coming up with a passable reason for the law.

Anonymous

Repeat Question. The Whole .308/.280 debacle is well known. Do you think in the long run the US actually came out ahead? Instead of just having one cartridge. NATO had two an intermediate rifle cartridge (5.56) and a shorter full-size rifle cartridge (308 instead of 30-06)?

Anonymous

I have a Colt New Service .45. It has pearl handles and the left one is damaged. What are the ramifications of replacing damaged parts on older guns? Does it really diminish the value to make the gun whole rather than retain the original parts?

Anonymous

What is your opinion of the Geiger GRP roller delayed pistol?

Anonymous

Ian, why do the 7.65x53 and 7.62x51 both exist. Seems like the 7.65x53 was just fine?

Anonymous

Repeat question, we've really got to know here: Have you seen the music video for Sabaton's "Fields of Verdun"? It looks like a fairly accurate portrayal of the french firearms used at that time. There is even a mysterious moustached fellow with a Chauchat at around the 1:30 mark. Maybe my question should be, "how involved were you with the video?" Or is this just another crazy internet theory/coincidence?

Anonymous

Don't hate me..... But considering they pretty much lost two World Wars, why are you a Francophile? ;)

Anonymous

In your opinion, would a stocked 32acp pistol (possibly with magazines of 15 rounds or more) been a better solution to the problem the US was trying to solve with the Pederson Device?

Landric Hakon

Repeat Question: How did the French settle on the bore size/bullet weight/muzzle velocity on the 8mm Lebel? It seems like they basically set that standard for years to come for cartridge performance if not case design.

Anonymous

Here is a fun hypothetical for you: You are given a team of engineers and a reasonable budget. Your task is to design a new concept for a truly universal infantryman's rifle. There is a hitch however: the good idea fairy has whispered into the ears of the general overseeing the project. Your designs must all be based off of the same core design and the ammunition must be the same across all iterations. So what would this monstrosity of military procurement look like? What caliber would you envision for it? Is it an AK standard magazine configuration or more akin to the AR family? A bullpup design or is it a side fed weapon? Love everything you are doing! Keep it up!

Bruce Brodnax
>>46609653

Easy: Makarov. Anything else instantly identifies you as a target for SMERSH, while the Mak could be official issue for some other internal Soviet unit or explained by black market source. Plus there's the whole ammo availability issue...

Mark Becht

Given it's ease of manufacturing and roughly 10% greater density, is there reason we haven't seen brass/bronze/gunmetal used in applications like SMG bolts, pistol slides or bolt carriers where the reduced volume for the mass would seem to be an advantage? Hardened inserts, where necessary would address the need for sear surfaces etc.

Anonymous

Did companies like Mauser, etc., have in house translators to assist with with foreign sales?

Bruce Brodnax
>>46609660

Are you speaking currently [illegal in the U.S.] or contemporaneously [no suitable explosive available?]

Bruce Brodnax
>>46609740

How could Ian possibly know the answer to a question about the multiverse of realities of which he has no experience?

Bruce Brodnax
>>46609751

PDW *may* be an SMG if it is full-auto. It is not necessarily the case.

Bruce Brodnax
>>46609758

Given it exists solely for suppressed weapons and the relative scarcity of owners of such here in the States due to NFA '34, yes.

Bruce Brodnax
>>46609787

There is a big problem with making cast receivers to specific dimensions for original forged parts. Ruger's cast receivers are designed from the ground up as near-net castings & do not have to meet any size dimensions that are not original to themselves.

Bruce Brodnax
>>46609834

Some parts of that may [*may*!] be able to be accounted for by triple-base powder formulation and the use of ceramic coatings on the inside of the polymer case?

Bruce Brodnax
>>46609878

Doubt he has time w/ the success of FW & the grueling schedule he has maintained for his output of new content. Those vids are ~ a decade old, iirc...

Bruce Brodnax
>>46609892

Remember, this was loong before GCA '68. It was probably a case of writing to the chief of Ordnance & saying "I have an improvement I'm trying to develop" & then ponying up the co$t of the rifle...

Anonymous

Do you ever intend to make a video discussing the development of the various “big bore” AR cartridges, such as .450 Bushmaster or .458 SOCOM?

Bruce Brodnax
>>46609924

The bullet has to be slightly larger than the bore to swage & properly engage the rifling. The lands are ~ .004" deep, so you need a .308" diameter bullet to properly fill a .300" bore...

Anonymous

Who gets the credit for inventing the long-stroke gas piston operating system? Maxim patented the recoil and gas-trap systems, Browning made the gas trap work, "Carbine" Williams did the short-stroke gas piston, but I can't find who first created a long-stroke gas piston gun.

Bruce Brodnax
>>46609957

They had machine guns by then... Gatlings & other hand-powered rapid-firing ordnance had been replaced by mechanized forms well before WW1.

Bruce Brodnax
>>46609962

It undeniably was, and that was it's raison d'etre: they couldn't afford the time & resources it would have required to build Lanchesters!

Bruce Brodnax
>>46610026

For guns that were not expected to be used at spitting distance, the assumption was that you wanted the fineness of target sights, and would therefore be shooting in broad daylight at well-defined [black on white, etc] targets. The notion of combat sights were decades in the future, for the most part. Instinctive shooting for combat was the norm and taught well up until the Modern Technique of the handgun was developed in the '50s & '60s. You may have heard of Jeff Cooper? He was a notable player in that history...

Bruce Brodnax
>>46610149

Pretty much some Italian WW1 surplus Berettas (based on the Villar-Perosa broken down) in 9mm Glisenti, the MP-18 or the Thompson at that point in time...

Bruce Brodnax
>>46610165

Go broke? Ruger already owns that market, they call it the Mini-14, -30 or -6.8... ;-)

Bruce Brodnax
>>46610187

I agree that if U.S. Ordnance hadn't had such a bad case of NIH and had been willing to consider an intermediate cartridge at the big end like 280 Brit we'd have seen more rapid development of an optimized assault rifle/intermediate concept, but I doubt we'd have ended up w/ the M-16, and would probably have been using something along the lines of the .250-3000 in an AR-10 for the past 30 or 40 years...

Anonymous

I have done some reading to make my AK content this year, and I made some conjecture since it wasn't explicitly stated... did Kalashnikov really have much to do with the AK-74, or should most of that credit go to Kryakushin with Kalashnikov just "supervising"? Even as an old man, he preferred the 7.62x39 round and he skims over development of the 74 in his autobiography while there is a lot of detail about the 47. Or should we look at is as more of a Sullivan scaling down Stoner's concept kind of thing?

Bruce Brodnax
>>46610355

There would be no point to a G11 in semi-auto civilian form, nor would it be possible here in the U.S. post-FOPA '86 since it is a default F/A gun. The entire point is the burst-mode of the caseless ammo. The ammo was the problem, not the complex firing mechanism; in semi-auto firing conventional ammo, there's better ways to skin that cat!

Bruce Brodnax
>>46610716

The Owen looked like a plumber's nightmare; haven't you ever seen one? Aesthetics are of course subjective, but the general consensus of firearms enthusiasts seem to define what is "beautiful" in firearms culture. Don't forget, the AR-15 has been considered somewhat challenged in this regard for much of its existence; it has only been in the last 20 years or so that it has overcome this & become the "ugly duckling all growed up into a swan..." ;-)

Bruce Brodnax
>>46610730

A temperature-resistant yet flexible material is required. Ordinary neoprene generally fits the bill, altho' I'm certain modern materials science could offer something superior if we ever overcame the ATF's interpretation of NFA '34...

Bruce Brodnax
>>46610838

Depends upon which military you're referencing. *That* dodo is alive & well elsewhere in the world [unlike the extinct bird!]

Bruce Brodnax
>>46610952

Ian has covered this in one of his older vids on how he does production at the auction houses...

Bruce Brodnax
>>46611037

This is presuming that Ian is A: unaware of his status as a market-maker & B: already has his top 10 in hand. But other than that, yeah, good Q!

Bruce Brodnax

Bonus Q: WTH is a "Selous plate?"

Bruce Brodnax
>>46611538

"Affected..." but whatever. Idk, but I don't believe reliable pyrometers were available until the late 1890s? For some reason, I seem to recall that Hatcher's use of them to resolve the "brittle 1903" problem was still considered somewhat cutting edge...

Bruce Brodnax
>>46611814

Why not? Just have the gun be easily-convertible between sides for ejection: roller-delayed guns tend to eject the used brass with "authoritay!" ;-)

Bruce Brodnax
>>46611851

How deeply concealed? What round do you consider "minimum" power level? This could go almost anywhere... I'm LES, so could conceivably carry concealed a P7M8. Ian's whippet-like frame would require a different solution, I'm sure...

Bruce Brodnax
>>46612208

Look at the armor-piercing round the Soviets developed for the Makarov. [Ian has a video on it, so you might try starting there...]

Bruce Brodnax
>>46612261

No, the Soviet military defined it as a DM weapon; snipers were issued Mosins w/ scopes...

Bruce Brodnax
>>46612795

Ian covered one of these in the early development of semi-auto handguns back in the early 1890's, iirc...

Bruce Brodnax
>>46612900

Because they were satellite states, not lackeys, and they had their own arms industries w/ design capabilities sufficient to go their own way; Warsaw Pact needs saw the Soviets lower the boom on alternative chamberings, but as long as they had ammo interchangeability, it wasn't worth quibbling over...

Anonymous

When a new country is formed (Elbonia for example), how do they start the process of purchasing weapons from manufacturers outside of their country if there is no domestic production? What credentials do they need as a new country to secure weapons or weapon contracts from manufacturers in other countries?

Bruce Brodnax
>>46614655

Too long to conveniently fit the magazine inside of a pistol grip? Pistol cartridges don't really get too much longer than 1.25" OAL...

Anonymous

Have you been able to do any diving during the dread pandemic?

Bruce Brodnax
>>46614957

CZ-75 came out in... (wait for it!)... 1975! What part of "classic" did you not grok? ;-)

Bruce Brodnax
>>46616073

Siege of Plevna? Boer War? Battle of Rorke's Drift? U.S. Revolutionary War guerrilla action? [colonists using rifles from beyond the Redcoats' effective musket range.] The list goes on...

Bruce Brodnax
>>46620916

"...from the introduction of the Savage 1907 until the FN G.P. came out in the mid-30s, it feels like the Savage was the only one in the game..." There, fixed it for ya! ;-)

Anonymous

Any updates on Max Popenker’s Headstamp AK book?

Anonymous

In the late 70's Interdynamic AB made a serious proposal to use a new rimfire cartridge, the 4.5 MKR, as a new military cartridge. What were the reasons for using rimfire, a technology that seemed to have become obsolete nearly 100 years before? Has anyone else gone down this path to make a modern military rimfire cartridge?

Andrew Sebastian

Asking this a second time. Today many modern firearms no longer have the front sight attached to the barrel. When did people start decoupling the front sight from the barrel and what was the original reason for doing so?

Timothy Conklin

Why are there so many printed sources claiming that Smith & Wesson nearly went bankrupt producing No. 3 revolvers for the Russian Empire due to Russian crookedness while reputable contemporary sources (such as Forgotten Weapons and C&Rsenal) don't mention this at all? If false, where did this myth come from?

Anonymous

Historically, a lot of SMGs have had barrels of 8 inches or more. But the gain in velocity is about a nominal 100fps. Wouldn't it be more efficient to carry a 5 inch barreled SMG? Especially now that red dots are more common.

Anonymous

Are their any weapon designs or patents that were never put into production, but you think would be worth re-visiting due to changes in materials, manufacturing, or any other reason?

Anonymous

I am a few years into a mechanical engineering degree and want to try designing something that has no hope of being commercially produced, but would be fun to shoot. What are some niche combinations that people have asked for, that would never be made by a company?

Anonymous

is there an update on the heat vest you mentioned a while ago?

Anonymous

Will iron sights on military/duty use firearms be a thing of the past in your lifetime? I figured WWSD answered that to some degree, but just wanted to know how soon you think a full transition might be.

Anonymous

When did safety mechanisms first appear on firearms?

Anonymous

Older videos from circa 2014 have a musical intro. At the end of the intro, there is a rifle firing with a block of gel *behind* the gun, and the rifle blows open when fired. What is the weapon being shown here, and what are you demonstrating (I assume some design defect) with this shot? Thank you.

Sean S.

Hey Ian I noticed while watching some of your older videos where you were either using or explaining the Gew 98 and saw that you along with others like Mae from c&rsenal, Eric from IV8888 and more all say the rolicoster sight wings get in they way but with a bolt action rifle would the soldier have time to get a fallow up shot on a adjacent or fleeing target beyond what is already lined up in his sight? Also would not his buddy next to him or another squad member beable to compensate?

Anonymous

Did rifles with rear locking lugs have more problems with head spacing?

Anonymous

What if scenario: The US adopts the T3E2 and the UK adopts the Pederson Rifle, both in .276 Pederson, in the early 1930s. They spend the rest of the decade slowly building up stocks of their new semi-auto rifles and new ammo. When the British finally adopt the ZB30 as the BREN, they do so in their new .276 caliber. The US slowly downsizes the BAR to the new caliber, shedding weight and increasing magazine capacity. When WWII breaks out, the British are still woefully short of being fully equipped, and many of their new weapons are lost in France in 1940. However, the US is able to easily supply replacements in the same caliber. Standardization is not just easy but pre-existing. How does this affect rifle/machine gun/ammo development after the war? How many of their .30 cal weapons (M1917, Vickers) do the two countries modify for .276? What does 7.2x51mm NATO look like? How many other countries jump on board? What does the AR-10 look like in .276? How long does it take for SCHV rounds to displace 7mm?

Anonymous

I've found myself interested in how singular examples of firearms will change depending on the conflict it's used in. The best examples of this are Arisaka's and Kar 98's from WW2 drastically changing in quality over a relatively short period of time. Besides the two I mentioned, are there any other examples of a firearm's quality dropping off sharply because of materials shortages, desperation, etc.

Anonymous

Thank you for keeping politics out of the channel on forgotten weapons its nice to have a place without that. With that in mind what do you think was the largest missed opportunity in military small arms history that happened for political reasons? IE the m14 being adopted by political pressure.

Anonymous

Second time asking. You often talk about a gun being cool. What would be the most un-cool rifle and handgun you can think of?

Anonymous

I know the Schmidt-Rubin family of rifles were never involved in a war, but have there been any documented cases in which it has been fired in anger?

Anonymous

Why does the .22 long rifle cartridge still continue to linger despite all the other popular cartridges nowadays all being centerfire?

GooDoughnut

Companies that primarily manufacture products other than firearms tooling up to make firearms have always interested me. Obviously there's GM with the M1 carbine and grease guns, and I've heard of Union Switch and Signal and Singer 1911s, but are there any other companies that catch your interest?

Anonymous

are there any avenues of gun design you are disappointed weren't developed further and just faded away. for example i think the programmable grenades from the xm25 with modern cheap & compact electronics could have been extremely useful especially if scaled up to 40 mm.

Anonymous

Hi Ian, 2 questions about bullpups and barrel length. You often say that you don’t need a long barrel for getting a projectile in enough rotation. Do you think that the hole idea of a bullpub is just a historical wrong understanding of the importants of barrel length? 2. If you have a longer barrel - with iron sights - the distance between your sighs is longer, so that it’s more accurate, right? And most target pistols have long barrels. Do you think it would be possible to make a pistol more accurate, by putting a lightweight, long thing (carbon fiber rod for example) with bigger sight distance on a pistol, so that you have a bigger sight radius?

Matthew F

What happened with the Russian video dubbing project? Any plans to continue with that or other languages if there's demand?

Anonymous

There seems to be a resurgence of 6.5intermediate rifle cartridges, with 6.5 creedmoore and 6.5 Grendel. How come there are no popular 6.5 pistol cartridges? We have 5.7 and 32acp and above.

Anonymous

Repeat question: Would larger handgun calibers (like .45acp, 10mm, .40S&W) still be relevant today, if it weren't for the modern self defense hollowpoint 9mm rounds of the last decade or so? Asking because expanding projectiles for handguns are banned in switzerland. So we can pretty much only get FMJ. Side question: There is something called "the hollow pointer" which just drills holes in the front of ball rounds, which is apparently legal here. Would such a bullet actually work as a decent hollow point or are dedicated HP rounds way more advanced than that?

Anonymous

Based on many other gun-banned countries having various avenues for collectors do you see having a C&R or some other type of "Official Status" as potentially useful if a similar ban was attempted in the US?

Anonymous

Carcano rifles from Ethiopia are cheap now but long term? Could they do like the SKS from China earlier than the ban limited that limited them.

Anonymous

When did safeties begin appearing on firearms? Can you briefly cover the history and kinds of safeties?

Anonymous

What are the pros/cons of the various ballistic testing media (gel, soap, clay)?

Anonymous

Do you think that very high pressure cartridges (such as developed for the ngsw program) could have the potential to be the next step in cartridge design?

Anonymous

With all of the different calibers that Ethiopia had in its arsenal after WWII, how much of their ammunition were they importing vs producing? It would seem a financial and logistical nightmare to try and setup production lines for so many different cartridges when you could buy ammunition from the countries of origin (and then deal with that seemingly more manageable logistical nightmare). Secondary question: who is more logistically screwed in a 1947 war, Ethiopia or Elbonia?

Anonymous

How would using firearms (small arms and cannons) in outer space influence their design, such as in a space force? More emphasis on cooling and velocity, recoil reduction mechanisms, longer engagement ranges, sophisticated targeting and aiming systems etc.?

Anonymous

What are your thoughts on the US army replacing their 7,62 M240s (at least partially) with belt fed machineguns in .338 NM?

Anonymous

What are some of your favorite films?

Anonymous

What's happened with the forgotten operator T-shirt line?

Anonymous

Beginning with the first line of successful Colt's pistols - to wit; the Holster pistols (currently known as "Dragoons") - all Colt's percussion revolvers in 44 caliber actually had 45 caliber bores. As I understand it this was because, when loaded with paper cartridges the projectile in that paper cartridge had to be a smaller diameter than the bore to account for what was essentially a paper patch. (if this isn't correct please explain the 44/45 discrepancy) - So my question is: Why were Navy revolvers known by their true bore diameter, ie. 36 caliber?

Anonymous

I dont know if its been asked before as I haven't seen every Q&A, but: Elbonia has spent 60 years selling mud, and finally has enough money to upgrade its aresnal into the 21st century! With their recent alliance with NATO, they are looking to move over to NATO standard calibers (5.56x45, 7.62x51, 9mm). However, misfortune strikes them once again, and through cunning and conniving, the grandson of the traitorous defense minister from the 40's is in charge of the procurement process! His feelings for elbonia are no better than his grandfather. So what would he choose as the worse NATO caliber weapons as the best means to sabotage the mighty country of Elbonia once again? Pistol, smg, assault rifle, SAW, and GPMG, maybe sniper rifle?

Anonymous

What is the oldest rifled firearm you are aware of?

Anonymous

Re: The 'Space Force'-Would the Gyrojet design be feasible to produce today with current material science and other advances-it would seem much cheaper than developing a Laser weapon. Your site has become very popular with the role playing game crowd, especially the history you research. Thank you for that.

Pete Conneely

A quick one: what happened with the AK in 'the worst AK I've ever seen" video? I assume you are/were in contact with the owner and I'm really curious about how it came to exist, and if they ever did get a refund...

Anonymous

Has there been any other rotary chamber like or similar to the G 11 ?

Anonymous

Third time a charm :) I would like to know more "Official" facts on the development of the FR-7/8 rifles. Typically I have heard three ideas of why they were made. One: as a stop gap untill the CETME production could be in full swing. Two, a training rifle for the CETME,. and Three a second line rifle for those soilders that didn't need a CETME. The idea of them being used as a second line rifle makes more sense to me then the stop gap answer where they filled in until the CETME's could be made at a faster rate. The "commonality of parts" that is also regurgitated when it comes to the two bolt guns in relation to the CETME is nonsense as well. There are very few parts that exchange between the FR series and the CETME, they look similar but not the same. So basically your stripping a old Mauser bolt gun down to a bare receiver and replacing everything else, how is that faster or more economical then spending the money and resources on the CETME? Even parts between the FR7 and FR8 are minimal. Furthermore typically as a training rifle you want the manual of arms to be the same or similar to the rifle your'e training for, the FR series is nothing like the CETME in operation, maybe sight picture? What are your thoughts? Thanks

Anonymous

Do you know if Larry Vickers is planning to do a second edition of AR-15 vol 2??

TJ

How would you equip yourself for the winter war if you would be Finnish reservist circa November 1939? Winter war is coming!(February 2021)

Anonymous

Second time asking: Do you know of any other firearms that have used a magazine like that of the FN P90? Is there a reason it's not more popular? Calico aside (similar idea, very different execution).

Carl

would you ever consider doing a video on basic revolver identification? particularly with modern revolvers which on the surface all seem the same to untrained eyes or revolver frame types

Tiger in man's clothing

Which firearm has been the most difficult to find research material.

Anonymous

What is an obsolete cartridge that should make a comeback. Yes, to some degree a cartridge is obsolete due Darwinian natural selection forces, so you probably want to say 'none, they all failed for a reason' However, there's often a perception of what is good that impacts a cartridge more than the reality of what is good. Further, conditions change, and sometimes cartridges that are on the brink of extinction, or even extinct, make a comeback. Example, for about 20 years, no gun company was making a new 45-70 gun and no ammo makers were offering it. (this is why Marlin introduced the 444). partly this was due to CAS, but mainly due to a hole in the market To get you started - one obsolete choice I'd cite would be 5mm remington rimfire magnum - would occupy the same niche as 17 HMR and do it better. What are your thoughts? (A new round simply inspired by an obsolete round would be fine too)

Anonymous

Does any one of the methods for rifling barrel tend to produce greater accuracy or longer barrel life than the others? Or is the choice depend more on the cost of production?

Michael Quinn

We all know and love the MP-5 and MP-7 what were the MP-1,2,3,4, and 6?

Anonymous

What is the status of the WWSD 2020 project? Also, if you were a late 1960/70s law enforcement agency looking to update your handgun from a 38 special revolver what would be the best option on the market?

Fruitbat44

Since Halloween’s close by, how about a Witch related question? The TV show ‘Motherland: Fort Salem’ has got a second season. No guns were seen in the first season. For the second season you, Ian, have been brought in as technical adviser on the hardware US Army would be equipped with. The catch is that the show is set in an alternate history where the Witches of Salem struck a deal that in return for ending their persecution they would become soldiers. The show isn’t too explicit on impact this has had on technology, but all the TV’s on the show are CRT affairs and the aircraft designs we’ve seen date back to the fifties. But with Witches being capable of devastating a city, or being able to turn a man to gloop, just with the tone of their voice . . . okay, woman can do this in the real world, but here we’re talking literally . . . I am guessing that the development of military hardware will have slowed to a crawl since 1692. Given the budget won’t stretch to building prop weapons from scratch, what would be your recommendations for the weapons of the “conventional” troops of the US Army?

Anonymous

not gun related but for your home gym set up have you looked at Indian Clubs or the mace (gada?)

Clifton Ballad

How much do you hate all of us for making you run the Hotchkiss for that big shoot :D

Jeremy Barnum

When watching the high speed footage you filmed of the Johnson rifle, I noticed that the recoil impulse seems to start when the barrel finishes its short recoil. Could the reputation for the Johnson system for heavy recoil be because of the quick and abrupt stop of the barrel in the short recoil system?

Doug G

When you have collected all the French firearms that you could conceivably get(baring the lost prototype weapons like the Mauneir A6?), what will you do with your collection and what will you then collect, if anything?

Anonymous

Is it possible you could do a video on the over and under derringer that we all grew seeing on tv westerns? The trigger mechanism has always intrigued me.

John Kettner

What was the most interesting information you learned while researching your book on French rifles that you did not know before?

Anonymous

Why did the Colt “Peacemaker” single action army become the legendary and extremely popular “gun that won the west”, when there were better revolvers( such as the S&W Model 3) available on the US commercial market at the same time?

George Parremore

Is there such a thing as SLAP with non discarding sabot? Like tungsten core but lightweight outer cover?

Anonymous

Do you think the FAL would have stayed a relevant platform if FN got their way and used an intermediate cartridge rather than 7.62 NATO? I read that it was first designed to use .280 British, would that have been a game changer for the FAL? Also, had the FAL been produced in an intermediate cartridge, do you think that we would have seen rifles like the L85 being adopted?

Anonymous

A theoretical modern country has decided to manufacture all it's own firearms, and to save money on barrel manufacture, it has decided to follow in the footsteps of WW1/WW2 Russia, and use the same bore diameter in as many of their designs as possible. Would this still be a viable option for modern battlefield? What would the most likely calibre choice be, assuming the pistol, smg, assault rifle and SAW/LMG all use the same bore diameter?

Anonymous

What is the advantage of the internal piston design of the AR10/15 over a direct gas impingement system?

Anonymous

In your opinion, what military firearm features the best (or worst) folding/collapsing skeleton stock design?

Anonymous

Beretta arx100: most forgotten fish gun?

Anonymous

In your opinion, what was the most significant single firearm development post World War One?

Anonymous

A straight pull rifle like the 1895 Lee Navy or the Heym SR30 seems to me like the best compromise between accuracy and speed. Why do you think the U.S. market and military are opposed to a straight pull?

Anonymous

Second time asking. If the NRA is dissolved, what would happen to the firearms in the NRA museums? Are they owned by the NRA? Would they end up at RIA to pay for legal fees, then go into private collections, never to be seen again?

Verdha

Given your recent video regarding submachine generations, do you think the submachine gun still fulfills a pertinent role today given how they’ve been almost completely replaced with short barreled rifles?

Anonymous

Second time asking- Constant recoil seems like a pretty simple concept. Given its obvious and substantial benefits in automatic weapons, why hasn't it been more popular? I only know of three such guns- the Ultimax, the Knight's Light Assault Machine Gun, and the Surefire MGX, and of those, the Ultimax is the only one I know of that's been adopted by anyone.

Anonymous

How do three-round burst triggers work? Are there specific kinds of actions where they work better/worse/not at all?

Anonymous

Hi Ian, first time patreon and poster. I've been watching since I left the military in 2016 and really appreciate your insight. When I was in the military I flew on a MC-12W and leadership told me that we were flying on the fastest from concept to production aircraft since (don't quote me on this, I think the P-51 mustang) and we should be proud haha. So my question is what is the fastest firearm from concept to production/use that you know of? Was it a failure or success? Thanks for your time!

Adam Schindler

2nd Ask: Why was there such a long gap between the poorly obturated breechloading artillery of the very early gunpowder era and the nearly modern breechoading artillery of the late 19th century? Many have mentioned how designs such as the Ferguson didn't make sense as a replacement for the Brown Bess for cost reasons, but they seem perfectly adapted to field and naval artillery pieces.

Anonymous

Howdy Ian, a while ago I found out about a correspondence between the Continental Congress and an inventor called Joseph Belton who claimed to be able to produce a flintlock capable of firing 16-20 superimposed cartridges. Do you think that it would have been possible to make at least one gun like this at the time (1770s) or was this a pipe dream? There was a request for 100 test models that were never made due to Belton claiming that if one person with his rifle could fire as much as 16 shots without reloading then he aught to be able to value the gun at the wages of the 15 other men that would no longer be needed to have the same fire power (If I understood the Ye Olde English). To my knowledge no know examples had been made at all.

Anonymous

Would the grease gun have reached the Marine Corps in time for Iwo Jima? Did the Marines use the grease gun in great number during WW2?

Anonymous

This is a two part question If the Glock 17 had not existed, and if it had been entered, would the Steyr GB have won the 1982 Austrian Military Handgun Trials?, and because of these trials, would the Steyr GB be as popular/successful as the Glock series of handguns are today?

Anonymous

I've just rewatched your video on the No4 MkI (T) sniper rifle... it made me wonder, if H&H did the work on those rifles then, do you think they or similar outfits would do such work if [WAR WERE DECLARED] in the present day? They seem to be more artists producing luxury goods than upfitters of military hardware.

Anonymous

Hello Ian, this is my first every post and I wanted to know if you have any advice for acquiring my very first AR15. I've heard that the cheapest way to get one is to get all the parts separately and assemble them yourself. Is this true or am I better off purchasing one already assembled? If it is true then what are some things l need to look out for? Thank you, and please keep making more interesting and fascinating videos

Samuel Doak

Updates on the WWSD. Project and are similar projects in the works? Best Ak? Advantages to a Frankiweapom?

Nate

What are some technology developments that have a had a huge impact on firearms but that we don't really think of as "firearms technology"?

Anonymous

Hi Ian, first time patreon and poster. Who used the SKS during the Korean war? I can find numerous examples in museums, websites and some erroneous drawings in unreliable history books, but I can find no photographic evidence of them being used either by North Korean or PLA troops? Can you help?

Anonymous

What are some of your favorite books? (fiction)

Anonymous

FN-49 vs MAS 49? I admit one reason for this question is the similar name but there is more to it. Both were selfloading rifles that were developed before the war, delayed by ww2 and then had considerable success after the war. They also both have a similar overall layout.

Anonymous

While 10mm Auto is overkill for military or police, is it a viable option for defense against large animals such as brown bear? Is it a worthwhile step up from other Auto cartridges such as 45 acp or 9mm?

Anonymous

Will there be more "Elbonian" content? I really enjoy it.

Anonymous

Have you evere looked into wargaming like bolt action? There is a wide community of model painters and wargamers who watch your videos for insperation. Also one thing you may be interested in is a french resistance kit by Wargames Atlantic about to hit preorder.

Rob Schneider

Are there any other vintage mechanical systems that you enjoy? Old bicycle shifting technology, older cars, pepper grinders, etc.

Will Sanders

Ian, When you shoot a gun at an auction house do they make you clean it after shooting it? Thanks for the content!

Anonymous

How do you feel about becoming I mean? Is it weird seeing your face posted all over the internet.

Anonymous

Any known firearms with a selectable trigger mode between a normal pull trigger and a release trigger?

Anonymous

Hello Ian, would you know any particular information regarding the Hughes Lockless Rifle/AIWS? The only information I've found is a patent filing for the firing mechanism, and a mention that while it was "well-liked by those who tested it", it never made it far in trials. Greater focus seems to be on the ammunition for it. More generally, would have an opinion concerning the lockless receiver design? I get the impression that it was a fairly simple system which hasn't been replicated elsewhere (though admittedly my knowledge on that is pretty limited). Thank you for all of your hard work cataloguing forgotten weapons, I've learned a great deal from watching your videos!

Anonymous

Ian- Who are we? Do you have any interesting facts and figures about your viewers and patrons.

Anonymous

Regarding Czech guns, which one do you consider "the best"? Based on either mechanical (or other) advantages, or on the impact / historical significance.

Anonymous

Hey Ian, love the work you're doing! Here is my question: You wake up tomorrow to the news that projected energy technology has just been invented, and within 5 years portable "small arms" versions of this technology will become available. In your opinion, what problems must they solve and/or benefits must they provide in order to replace conventional ballistic weapons in military use?

Anonymous

Hey Ian, I'm starting to build my collection, and I'm most fascinated by German and Belgian arms. Germany has obviously a very rich history with many popular firearms throughout history, but I struggle to find good resources on historic Belgian arms. Are there any particular early-20th century era Belgian guns you find to be fascinating, and are there any books or resources you might recommend on the subject?

Grayson Taylor

With doing your surplus ammo tests, any experience with the Korean 30 Carbine ammo that's been coming in lately? Would you say it's the best source of 30 Carbine these days, or prefer PPU, etc?

Anonymous

Hi Ian, I recently saw Hickok45 load an SKS with a 10 round clip. Did the British ever try a 10 round Charger in the SMLE? Did any British soldiers carry multiple magazines... e.g. rule breakers like the the Commandoes, or Chindits, or Empire forces. Keep up the good work, I love your channel, Regards, Liam.

Anonymous

Howdy Ian, How important is rifling on a handgun? It seems like handguns are more effective well beyond the range they'd typically be used. Would a rifleless handgun be a simple cost cutting measure without a practical difference in a defensive situation or would it have problems like keyholing?

Anonymous

Ian, you and others (Othias) point out that one of the problems with tube magazines is that as the cartridges in the magazine diminish, the balance point changes. What about side mounted magazines. I guess with pistol caliber sub machine guns it may not have much effect, but what about an FG 42?

Hauptmann
>>46914943

I've been lucky enough to shoot a few side mounted magazine SMGs, and I couldn't say it made a difference. They were already fairly awkward so a little more or less weight didn't seem to effect my shooting. But back when I was shooting them, I was 270 pounds and lifted weights. So mileage may vary.

Anonymous

Hi Ian :) Do you know when and where the idea that the M-16 rifle was “didn’t need to be cleaned” that did so much damage in Vietnam originated?

Knathaniel C

Hey Ian, about Hopkins and Allen pocket revolvers: were they reliable/safe, or were there reputation of being only good enough to injure the user accurate? Were they the high point (inexpensive but dependable) or the zip 22 (unreliable garbage) of their day? Would you have concerns shooting them now with the appropriate black powder loads? Second time asking and thanks!

Anonymous

Hi Ian, I often see barrel condition mentioned on adds particularly for milsurps. Which got me thinking, especially during war times would the lack of resources or time constraints affect the quality of rifling. For example in WW2 the Germans had shortages of tungsten, would this shortage have led to them keeping tooling in service longer than they otherwise would of leading to reduced quality or potentially not cutting rifling as deeply as when the tooling was new and to standard. Regards Jacob.

Anonymous

How do you make sure an old surplus rifle is safe to fire if they don't make headspace gauges for that caliber? For example the MAS 36? Do you need custom made headspace gauges or something else?

Anonymous

Do you have any recommendations for books about France and their involvement in Indochina? I've been finding myself reading a lot about the Vietnam War lately and they mention the French involvement prior but not very in-depth. Where is a good place to start?

Bruce Brodnax
>>46624186

He's already answered this, but short version: because France was often at the cutting edge of small arms design, sometimes decades ahead of everyone else, but their own love of secrecy often prevented the rest of the world from noticing that until decades after the fact.

Bruce Brodnax
>>46624233

Not really: US Ordnance was trying to come up w/ something that would be more compact & burden the soldier less than an entire second weapon. What they should have done instead was just to equip a certain % of troops w/ some of the early Win or Rem autoloaders [preferably the Rem version in .25 Rem, which in all other respects would still be a viable intermediate cartridge today...]

Bruce Brodnax
>>46624883

It co$t$ $ignificantly more than steel, so that manufacturing ease & density difference is negligible for volume production post-development of modern steel alloys for cutting tools.

Bruce Brodnax
>>46627969

"Can I have 'What would be recognition as a sovereign state by the state dept. of the arms-selling nation in question for $200?' Alex..." ;-)

Bruce Brodnax
>>46632409

Because it is ancillary to the focus of C&Rsenal's & FW's discussion of those firearms? The only American companies that did well dealing w/ the Russian empire in the late 1800's were those who insisted on payment FOB their factory loading docks & those who sold licenses to produce & only a small # of examples, all paid up front [iirc, Colt's did this with Gatling guns, which are known as Gorloffs in Russia because Col. Gorloff inked the deal on them...] S&W wasn't the only one, Merwin Hulbert lost out due to Russian infidelity, as did others. The Soviets were even worse, so I guess there was some sort of government continuity in that regard... X-D

Bruce Brodnax
>>46632781

You're forgetting about noise. Handguns are shot at arm's length; the barrel of a 5" SMG would be significantly closer to the ear (& therefore louder & more harmful) to the shooter than that of a 5" barreled pistol...

Bruce Brodnax
>>46640928

CHEAPNESS! It's also supremely efficient, being at a sweet spot for lethality & compactness/portability.

Bruce Brodnax
>>46641638

That tech is still seeing development & use, just not in small arms...

Bruce Brodnax
>>46642228

1: Adequate rotation for stability isn't the reason behind wanting the compactness w/ a long barrel a bullpup brings, it's velocity... 2: Yes. Been done w/ fancy target pistols [not w/ CF, but in metal...]

Bruce Brodnax
>>46642697

I think that was strictly a volunteer thing, & it is probably on-going w/ distro via whatever Russia uses in place of YouTube?

Bruce Brodnax
>>46642952

Because at the speed of most pistol bullets, bigger holes make more sense than a slightly higher velocity...

Bruce Brodnax
>>46645394

Yes. Please watch Paul Harrell's vid on the .40S&W, in which he pretty conclusively expounds that if you can handle it, you're better off using it in most real world [non-target sports] situations as it retains superior lethality than the 9mm Parabellum cartridge, ceteris paribus. WRT the "hollow pointer," the BIG caveat is that if you do this to a jacketed bullet, there is the chance that you'll extrude the bullet thru the jacket [which is usually open at the back] and leave a bore obstruction of jacket material behind. You'll kindly note that jacketed hollowpoints are closed at the back & the jacket is open at front, the reverse of FMJ. If you start with an "encapsulated" bullet, you should be OK...

Bruce Brodnax
>>46648139

Mass drivers create reaction forces that you have to deal with in other ways in microgravity. Hence the emphasis on ray guns for sci-fi...

Bruce Brodnax
>>46648195

Quite a reversal from U.S. Ordnance post-WW2 who didn't want to consider anything not .30cal...

Bruce Brodnax
>>46649437

Man, I sure hope Scott Adams is a fan of FW; all the Elbonia questions Ian is fielding might create some serious copyright issues if he's an "anti"!

Bruce Brodnax
>>46650042

Still feasible, possibly moreso given modern microelectronics to deal w/ targeting/ignition/fusing issues. Would absolutely require explosive warhead to be useful to SpaceForce commandos, so a govt.-only proposition...

Bruce Brodnax
>>46651440

He's already covered this; a gun design from back in the '40s? or early '50s...

Bruce Brodnax
>>46663367

Suomi w/ extra stick mags, extra wool socks, balaclavas, etc. for all the cold weather...

Bruce Brodnax
>>46674914

A modern, high pressure version of the .25 Remington using 6.8SPC brass [which was based on the .25 Rem & screwed up by using too big a bore diameter instead of staying w/ the ideal .250 bore...]

Bruce Brodnax
>>46679546

You already know he's going to say "Glock 19" for the 2nd question, so why do you even bother asking? ;-)

Bruce Brodnax
>>46680288

There is absolutely no way on Earth that having such uncontrolled power in the hands of irrational creatures like women would not have spurred the development of great research into physics & chemistry by men of science, so we would have had smokeless powder before 1850 and all the witches would have been eliminated by religious zealots tossing dynamite made by someone before Alfred Nobel was even born. End of exercise...

Bruce Brodnax
>>46696355

Because U.S. military's fascination w/ handguns that could stop horses & the bulk of BP.

Bruce Brodnax
>>46698608

It could easily be done, but would limit the effective range since the lightweight outer shell would increase drag so much vs. the much narrower core. There's a reason the sabots are discarded; it's not like they're easier to make that way!

Bruce Brodnax
>>46711785

Lighter weight & simplicity [fewer parts, ergo cheaper/faster to build, etc.]

Bruce Brodnax
>>46719257

Lack of primary extraction makes them more sensitive to ammunition issues [dirty/corroded ammo.]

Bruce Brodnax
>>46719753

Almost all large corporations set up separate entities for precisely this kind of issue. I'm certain that if you investigate further, you'll find the NRA Museum is it's own separately chartered NPC...

Bruce Brodnax
>>46722063

Simple, but elegant, & Sullivan's patent didn't run out until just recently...

Bruce Brodnax
>>46722936

The Swedish Ljungman always seems to rank high in this regard, altho' I think one of the Soviet sub-guns [DP43?] may be the record-holder?

Bruce Brodnax
>>46763584

Wait for the current gun-buying panic from the civil unrest inspired by the CCP virus dies down...

Bruce Brodnax
>>46772735

The Soviets? There's a reason it's called the Type 56 in Chinese history...

Bruce Brodnax
>>46774888

Greenland police/rangers seems to think so... [they're issued Glock 20s, because polar bears.]

Bruce Brodnax
>>46841015

I think you meant to write "...becoming a meme?" If you posted this via a smartphone, it almost certainly auto-misspelled your post [I hate those things! I usually turn the auto-wrongifier off...] X-D

Bruce Brodnax
>>46902939

Smoothbore handguns are "AOW" firearms under NFA '34 here in the U.S. It's only a $5 tax, but the processing takes just as long as the $200 tax on a machine gun. So the issue would be the extra bureaucratic hurdles to go thru for an inaccurate gun useless beyond rock-throwing range...

Bruce Brodnax
>>46991194

_Devil's Brigade_ (iirc) was a book about former SS in the FFL fighting in Fr. Indochina in the immediate post-WW2 period. They truly hated communists; they didn't mind putting their lives on the line to keep fighting them if it kept them out of prison...

Anonymous

Iron sights: what's more important, sight radius or sight picture? Is it better to have the front sight closer so you can see the target better, (HK ghost ring front sight) or have a longer sight radius and learning to shoot with whatever the sight picture may be?

Anonymous

I have an old VZ24 that I aquired through an old ace hardware store a little while back. the crest on the recever has been ground off and it has some Asian characters stamped on it. I was wondering if there is a way I could send you pictures of it to see if you could identify where the vz24 has been through history its still in pretty good condition and everything is pretty easy to read I just dont know where to start.

Anonymous

Hi Ian, love your channel. I‘ve read about Vollmer‘s automatic rifles in the 30s, the M35 series. The last one is said to have a pneumatic rate reducer. Do you have more info on that and the Vollmer series in general? Were they better than the G41 and 43 that came afterwards, since they used an intermediate cartridge? What about a video, where‘s the example photographed in Senich‘s book?

Alan B.

Hi, long time lurker but first time query. I'm curious how the ongoing apocalypse is affecting your backlog and rainy-day fund in terms of new material to post. You've mentioned before that you keep a decent sized collection of material for a rainy day in case you can't get new material for a stretch, well it seems like we should be thinking about building arks it's been rainy for so long. How much longer do you think you can keep up your quality level of output before you have to start considering slowing down or some other mitigating strategy to keep the channel alive and up to the established excellent standard of quality?

Anonymous

was the rifle in day of the jackal real or just a prop? and if its real what rifle is it no one can give me a straight answer

Anonymous

Do you and Karl have your own area out in the desert where you go shooting or is it an area used by many people like Redington Pass is?

Anonymous

Would it be possible to combine the gas system of the AR15 with the recoil system of the AR18? The Ar18 and all its derivatives seem to use piston systems.

Anonymous

I had a vhs from the 90’s about a large machine gun shoot in the Arizona desert. One of the featured guns was a quad mounted m2 50cal the owner said was from the Korean War. Do you know of this system and what was the application?

Anonymous

I really enjoy your videos and am very impressed with knowledge. However, in your video about the B.A.R. a few years ago you brought up J. Edmund Browning (John & Matt's half brother) and Matthew S. Browning as well as John M. , you stated that Matthew and John apparently had a falling out. As a great grandson of Matthew who has done extensive research, interviewed descendants of both John and Matt and made a few public presentations on his life, I have heard of this rift or seen any evidence of it, quite the contrary, they were best friends all their lives. I am curious to know where your information regarding this came from. Also, like many other firearm researchers you never seem to mention that Matthew is on 34 of John's patents as co-patenter including the Winchesters 1886, 1887, 1890, 1892, 1893, 1897 and the Colt 1895, why is this?

Anonymous

First off, take a drink of scotch. I am new to the auction aspect. How do the auctions work when you purchase? Is it sent through ffl? I've always purchased locally and was interested in the auction aspect. Also love the channel and just became a patreon supporter.

Anonymous
>>46619859

There were quite a few striker-fired pocket pistols, even in the early days of semiautos. Plus there were things like the Luger and Roth-Krka M.7

William Magoffin

I've seen references to the little produced East German LMG K-500 (their attempt at a 100% indigenous RPK-74) being intended to be used as a DMR. Does the idea of an LMG pulling additional duty as a precision weapon make any sense? Seems to me that the weapon whose job is to lay down suppression fire shouldn't also be the weapon sitting there waiting to pick off a target. Has any other weapon attempted this and did it work?

Anonymous

Hello Ian. I was wondering about the employment and effectiveness of close assault mortars on tanks. I believe that their principal use was to stop close infantry attacks and to deploy smoke. Were they used for other purposes as well? In your reading have you ever stumbled across accounts of their effectiveness or use?

Matt Brocher

Why is it that so many firearms in the late 1800s/early 1900s have sights so small as to almost be unusable?

Anonymous

Hello Ian, I have a few questions, Firstly what are your thoughts on an electronic fire control, that would trigger a typical hammer or striker, comparable to the Remington EtronX but with out requiring non standard primers , Secondly what are your thoughts on a purpose built handgun caliber carbine, Something intended to be more modular and appealing to modern shooters than things like the Ruger PC carbine, Without the price tag of some of the more expensive options such as some of the better made handgun caliber AR type firearms, lastly what would be a recommendation for a fellow left handed shooter for a historically significant rifle, I was thinking one of the various Mauser carbines, But in general the only criteria is that it be reasonably easy to shoot from an ammunition and replacement parts stand point, And that it be historically significant , thank you for all of your work I enjoy both the historical as well as a mechanical, engineering, production, etc etc aspects of what you do,

Anonymous

Which would you rather carry into ww2: M3 grease gun or PPS-43? Low rof vs. high. Big and slow bullet vs. light and fast. Aperture sight vs. notch. Compact vs. not quite as compact.

Anonymous

Why did none of Ferdinand Mannlicher's semi auto rifles end up being produced? Also, if he had not died early, do you think he would have had a much greater impact on the firearms industry than he does today?

Anonymous

I apologize if this has been asked before. Who assists you with filming you videos when you are in the field? Does you wife like/enjoy shooting?

Anonymous

Have you seen the henry .410 axe 'firearm'? I know 12 gauge stockless shotguns are pretty useless for practical use, but 410 is still devastating and has less recoil so you don't have to risk bonking yourself with the gun while aiming. Also, the lever action system mitigates the possibility of short stroking the pump on a pump shotgun. I'm not saying I would use this shotgun for home defense but it does offer a somewhat smaller package which may be useful.

Anonymous

Hi Ian, I was watching one of your videos on youtube, at home with my femminist flatmate and a particular question came out from a discussion: are there women in the history of the gun/weapons development?

Anonymous

Hello, Why did the US lag so far behind in MG development and doctrine when so much of the early development work in machineguns come from Americans, largely on behalf of other countries? (i.e. Maxim and Lewis).

Anonymous

Was the SIG P220 the first production pistol to have the barrel lock to the ejection port? If not, who was first?

Anonymous

I might me a bit late with asking this question. If I am I'll try again next month. I'm curious to know what your opinion of binary triggers is. Are they allowed in two and three gun competitions? Lastly, do you see them going the way of the slide fire "bumb" stocks?

Anonymous

h&r appears to be very hit and miss when it comes to the quality of their military small arms, for ex. their production runs of the risling smg and m14 being extremely shoddy

Anonymous

It is 1883, and you are the armorer for a highly trained commando-type unit (12-15 soldiers) which will be performing daring raids and sabotage behind enemy lines, what weapons of the period (main arms and side arms) do you equip them with that best suit their needs given that multiple roles such as close assault and sharpshooting are required to defeat larger conventional forces of the time?

Anonymous

Firearms development seems to have a lot of offshoots or evolutionary dead ends, of all of the paths not taken, what firearms tech do you wish had been pursued more?

Anonymous

Who is your Smash Brothers main

Beccaskye

Was Volley Fire used for a similar purpose to Machine Guns?

Anonymous

Do you think the Whitworth style hexagonal bullets will have a possible resurgence as a caseless round?

Anonymous

Hope you're doing well! In the past, I believe you've stated that the firearms industry has largely stagnated in terms of innovation due to companies preferring small incremental improvements over existing and popular designs over designing and releasing something new and innovative. What do you think the next step in terms of large scale firearm innovation will be? Something like mainstream caseless ammunition, new locking systems, et cetera?

Anonymous

In watching some of your videos about Rollin White and his ill-fated revolver design, it occurred to me that White unwittingly stumbled across the concept that would later lead to the recoilless rifle. (i.e. spreading the recoil impulse near-equally forward and backward). In your research about early RR development, did you happen to notice any mention of Rollin White or his work?

Anonymous

Hey Ian ! Greetings from France ! I have two questions for you First : -To the best of my knowledge Astra model F and Bestigui Hermanos MM34 are the only two "C96 style" with adjustable fire control system. It is ? +What was the difference between the 2 system and (if there's was) which one is better ? (Do you plan a video on the MM34 ?) And the big one : -Why no vertical/box magazine didn't even make it to the 1878 French marine trials that eventually conduct to the adoption of the kropatchek (who was only facing krag Petersen and Hotchkiss rifle) ? We know the Army was testing Gras with this type of modification since 1875 so why not ? Was it because : -as the reason why Kropatchek finally won (because less subject to oxidation than the Hotchkiss and Krag-Petersen), a big chunk of metal (as were the first box mag) coming out the weapon is especially what French Marine didn't want ? -as you already explained it in another Q&A, vertical/box magazine due to the length of black powder metallic cartouche era weren't as logic as they became later with the reduced in caliber white powder cartouche? -a conservative/preference to existent design view of the Marine face to this brand new technology of vertical magazine ? -or a bit of 2/or the 3 reason ? By the way, I consider you personally responsible for the partial rehabilitation of the French Army, his soldiers and his equipment, in the American collective unconscious. And for that you have my eternal gratitude.

Anonymous

What is a genuinely badly designed cartridge? When people talk about cartridge design they often like to point out the well designed ones (i.e. 6.5x55, .308) but never the bad ones. Sometimes when a cartridge fails you‘ll hear "it was well designed but just ahead of its time". So what do you think is a modern cartridge that was just bad from the start? (Hit take: the .30-30 fits this category)

Anonymous

What is your all time favorite film/book/song?

Anonymous
>>47439900

Webley selfloaders locked on the ejection port before/during ww1

Anonymous
>>46650742

Brandon Herrera, another gun YouTuber has it and is fixing it for free.

Anonymous

Ian, yet another gun to take back in time question... you get to take a weapon 3-5 years before a major conflict, and help a nation set up tooling, manufacture, and production of said weapon, and equip and train the military with that weapon. What conflict, what weapon, and how does it change the outcome of said conflict?